Walk Description

​This was one of those days where the weather could not have been any better. We were up early to drive over to Gatesgarth but fell foul of our planning as when we were coming through Honister we were stuck behind the Gatesgarth shepherds moving their flock. No matter - there was still plenty of parking to be had once we arrived at Gatesgarth where there is a small fee to park.

The route leaves Gatesgarth along the road towards Honister and soon strikes up the fell side to Fleetwith Pike. The ascent is steep but the views today were reward enough for the toil. Reaching the summit we had fabulous views down Buttermere and over to Pillar and Kirk Fell. The path then heads over towards Black Star before heading down to the Drum House via the quarry track. From Drum House we headed over to Grey Knotts, taking the Coast to Coast path coming over from Loft Beck, leaving the path to make a 200 yard detour to the summit.

The route over to Brandreth and then on to Green Gable follows a clear path and the views are with you all the way, particularly as the huge bulk of Great Gable gets ever nearer. From Green Gable we did consider descending down to Windy Gap and making the steep ascent up to Great Gable but there was already a procession of walkers doing exactly that therefore having been up Great Gable before we left it for another day. We headed back down towards Brandreth but then took a right fork to make an out and back to the summit of Base Brown.

From Base Brown we retraced our steps to Green Gable before heading down to Moses Trod to pick up the popular path up to the summit of Hay Stacks via Innominate Tarn. Reaching Hay Stacks, as per usual there were people hogging the summit therefore we hung around a bit before politely asking them to shift in order that we could get a suitable photograph. From Hay Stacks there is a tricky little descent down to Scarth Gap, which needs a bit of care taking over it before there is a bit of a knee crunching trip down the pass to Peggy's Bridge before the arrival back in Gatesgarth.

Great conditions today on what was an absolutely fantastic route over some beautiful ground.

Gatesgarth

Fleetwith Pike ahead

The memorial on Fleetwith Pike

Buttermere

High Crag & High Stile - the path down from Scarth Gap to Peggy's Bridge can be seen cutting across the lower slope of High Crag

Hay Stacks

The steep ascent of Fleetwith Pike

Glorious views over to Pillar & the High Stile ridge from the summit of Fleetwith Pike

The summit cairn on Fleetwith Pike looking down to Buttermere

Looking down on the return route to Hay Stacks we would take from Green Gable - Great Gable and Kirk Fell are the fells in the centre

Angie on the summit of Fleetwith Pike - it was simply glorious up here today

Hay Stacks in the foreground with Kirk Fell left & Pillar to the right

Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike, Robinson & Littledale Edge

Dave & Fudge above Honister Crag

Heading down to the Drum House with Grey Knotts ahead. We took the Coast to Coast path running beneath Grey Knotts and left this to make a 200 yard journey to the summit

The quarry track leading down to the Drum House

Fudge on the summit of Grey Knotts

Pillar and High Crag. Ennerdale Water is left with Buttermere and Crummock Water to the right

The summit of Brandreth

The Brandreth fence with the path to Green Gable right

Kirk Fell

Heading to Green Gable with Great Gable to the right

Looking back to Brandreth

Base Brown from Green Gable

Looking down Ennerdale from Green Gable

The Langdale Pikes

Close up on Pillar

Windy Gap & Great Gable

What a great place to have your lunch - no one here!

Heading over to Base Brown

The summit of Base Brown

Never get tired of Great Gable - the path coming across is Moses Trod

Looking down Loft Beck to the path coming up from Ennerdale - this is the path the Coast to Coast route uses over to Rosthwaite

Innominate Tarn on Hay Stacks

The tarn on the summit of Hay Stacks

The summit of Hay Stacks

An inquisitive Fudge looking down to Scarth Gap with Seat ahead

Buttermere from Scarth Gap

The path down from Hay Stacks

Fleetwith Pike - where it all started

Another view of Buttermere - this time from lower down

Fleetwith Pike & Hay Stacks from the path back to Gatesgarth

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